Currently, there are no practical electrical wire connectors that allow a user to visually and clearly see the electrical connection on the spot in a twist-on or screw-on wire connector. Typical wire connectors are completely opaque, making it difficult or impossible for the user to see the wires inside in order to check the electrical connection or to see if one or more stripped wire ends have slipped out away from the other electrical wires being connected. Even if the user tries to look into the open end of the connector, the connection is difficult to see, due to the insulated wires taking up the only viewing area and the darkness inside a typical wire connector. Thus, a user cannot depend on knowing that he has made a proper and safe electrical connection with a typical wire connector. Known in the art is a clear tipped, push-on electrical wire connector that can connect a maximum of eight wires side by side in sizes of 18 to 12 gage for use only with solid, or stranded, copper wire and used in lighting & junction boxes. There has been no way previously in the art to use more than eight wires in the present clear-tipped push on wire connector or a method to ensure that the electrical current continues to flow through the circuit. Because of the design of these clear-tipped push on wire connectors, or any kind of push-on wire connectors, the actual stripped wires do not touch. They are held in place by a pressured metal piece that also completes the electrical connection. Due to the actual electrical conductors, not touching each other in the actual connection, if this clear tipped connector failed, for example, without limitation, if part of it broke, got crushed, or the pressured metal piece that holds the wires in place, weakened and wires started to slip out, the current would be broken. There is no known approach to validating a proper electrical connection within any king of push-on wire connector.
Known techniques addressing the foregoing problems are generally not cost effect. Moreover, known clear-tipped push on wire connectors cannot be used with wire larger than 12 gage, solid and stranded. Also, known clear-tipped push on wire connectors, have no practical application, other than fluorescent ballast lighting applications. There has been no prior-art twist on or screw on electrical wire connector through which the user can visually see the electrical connection or a twist on connection allowing the user to see that the conductive coil, which holds the insulated or non-insulated electrical conductors in place and helps the conductors twist as the wire connector is turned, is seated in to place and is not ready to fall out due to a faulty coil installation in the connector itself. There is also no existing method in the art to be able to see if one or more wire conductors is about to slip, or is slipping out of the bunch of wire conductors so that they may be fixed now, not later. There have been no prior art products, in a twist on or screw on electrical wire connector, that give apprentices, journeyman electricians, homeowners, general contractors, and everyone else that needs to connect two or more electrical wire conductors together, the confidence and assurance of knowing their electrical connection is safe and secure.
In view of the foregoing, there is a need for an inexpensive, twist-on electrical wire connector that allows the user to see the connection and ensures a proper connection.
Unless otherwise indicated illustrations in the figures are not necessarily drawn to scale.